United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

FEDERAL GRAND JURY CHARGES AMARILLO MAN IN
MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT

AMARILLO, Tx. — A federal grand jury in Amarillo returned an indictment today charging Charles Lee Young with one count of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Young was arrested on June 6, 2007, and has been in custody since that time. If convicted, Young, 56, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to the affidavit filed in the case, in late April, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was informed by an individual that Charles Lee Young had a conversation the prior week at his home with him during which Young indicated he would pay $10,000 to someone willing to kill his ex-wife. Young complained that his ex-wife and two young children had moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, had taken $11,000 that belonged to both of them, and that she had filed some type of criminal charges against him. He further stated that his ex-wife was doing everything possible to keep him from seeing the two children.

Subsequently, FBI agents used consensually monitored phone calls in which Young talked about how much he could pay for the murder, but that he’d probably have to pay it in installments. During one of the calls, Young told the individual that he could give him a down-payment to give to the hired killer. The two then talked about information the killer would need to kill Young’s ex-wife. Young told the individual that he planned to be in the Philippines when his wife was killed and that the killer would have to go to her house to determine the best time to do it. Young further said he didn’t want to know how, when or where it happened. He just wanted to know that “she don’t breathe,” according to the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint.

An indictment is an accusation by a federal grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy L. Drake of the Amarillo, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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